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I agree Yoga can be difficult, but as far as building muscle and strength it's no comparison to barbell training. Sorry. You only ever have your own body weight in yoga, you can't ever conjure up more. Our muscles respond to increasing loads by increasing muscle mass, which means your body can only take you so far.
But if you look at many yoga poses, most of your entire body weight may be supported mostly by one leg with sometimes an arm, etc. for quite a long period of time. That is more than enough weight for most women, especially, to be lifting. The twisting poses in yoga are also extremely healthy as they remove toxins from your organs. For daily living and to be able to do the daily things that we need our bodies to do without injury, I still argue that yoga is sufficient. You see people adding huge muscle mass to their bodies -- tell me, what kind of lifestyle do most people need that kind of mass for?
You see people adding huge muscle mass to their bodies -- tell me, what kind of lifestyle do most people need that kind of mass for?
Aesthetics, of course; nothing wrong with that.
Personally, I only lift weights for strength. I need it to compete in my triathlon events; swimming, biking, running, etc. And there's no better/efficient way to gain muscle than lifting weights, period.
Personally, I only lift weights for strength. I need it to compete in my triathlon events; swimming, biking, running, etc. And there's no better/efficient way to gain muscle than lifting weights, period.
So you probably don't bulk way up then, correct? And to me, there is NOTHING uglier than someone who has created massive muscle mass and then stops working on it. It takes very little time for that muscle to look really flabby and ugly.
Yoga is not strenuous enough for people with tight schedules. Unless you plan on doing Yoga everyday, resistance training offers the fastest way to tone up and boost your metabolism..
I always giggle at the same overweight ladies that I see at the gym spending an entire hour doing aerobics and treadmill and not get any results in the 3 months that they're there and usually they give up and stop going to the gym.
Had they gone with running and resistance training they will see results in 2 weeks.
Running is only good for increase stamina and most people won't get any weight loss unless they run everyday. Their diet is too heavy on calories for running to work.
Once you start a good strength training program, in just 2 weeks you will see increase energy and metabolism. It's also a good time to watch what you eat as you can end up eating more than your body needs.
The fact is, yoga will require longer duration and more time to get the same results as someone that goes to the gym twice a week and lift and push for 25 mins each visit.
I run & run & run and I love all forms of cardio & bodyweight exercises and the calories burn quickly, but they come right back when I eat.
How about quit eating so much then?
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Originally Posted by Zelpha
But it's been years and I need to up my game, the body cannnot progress when doing the same things over & over.
Yes it can.
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Originally Posted by Zelpha
Increased muscle = increased calorie burn 24/7.
If you keep stuffing your face every day, this does now matter. The best thing to keep the calories, tus fat down is to stop eating so much.
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Originally Posted by Zelpha
I find Weightlifting intimidating however because of all the grunting, gawking guys back in that area of the gym.
The stereotype that will never die...
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Originally Posted by Zelpha
But strictly physiologically speaking, is weightlifting the way to go?
Depends what your goals are.
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Originally Posted by Zelpha
I even studied weightlifting for six months at a PT school last year, though I filtered out much of what he taught us simply because it didn't appeal to me.
You studied, yet yoiu "filtered out" a lot of info because you thought you knew it all and you could not be bothered; why the heck did you study in the first place?
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Originally Posted by Zelpha
Still I learned enough to realize that there are some merits to weight training. So maybe I should go there.
I am glad you learned something in the course of six months...
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Originally Posted by Zelpha
Any petite women reading this who have crossed over to the manly side of the gym? Tips to get over the intimidation and the "I hate this, I'd rather be out in the sunshine" factor?
Why is it now "manly"? What intimidation? You are not as important as you think you are, no one cares what you are doing in the gym. If someone happens to care, why the heck do you care that they care? Do you care what someone thinks of the food you order when you eat out?
I think your main issue is you eat too much, something no amount of gym timme or exercise program is going to over come.
So you probably don't bulk way up then, correct? And to me, there is NOTHING uglier than someone who has created massive muscle mass and then stops working on it. It takes very little time for that muscle to look really flabby and ugly.
Muscle does not get "flabby and ugly"; if a person bulks up massively then stops their routine and continues with their same eating habits, they are going to add fat while their muscle atrophies.
But if you look at many yoga poses, most of your entire body weight may be supported mostly by one leg with sometimes an arm, etc. for quite a long period of time. That is more than enough weight for most women, especially, to be lifting. The twisting poses in yoga are also extremely healthy as they remove toxins from your organs. For daily living and to be able to do the daily things that we need our bodies to do without injury, I still argue that yoga is sufficient. You see people adding huge muscle mass to their bodies -- tell me, what kind of lifestyle do most people need that kind of mass for?
I do agree with those who say weight training is Te best way to increase muscle mass. However, weight training is by no means a comprehensive path to fitness. It is great for strength training, but I think we can all agree that is just part of it. Stamina or endurance is just as much a part of fitness in my mind as is raw strength.
In my occupation I have seen some guys with nice "gym muscles" unable to make a 10 mile hike with a 75 pound load. They were strong but they weren't tough, and that is the same as being weak in my occupation. To me, stregnth without toughness is useless. It is for show only, and that works for some people. I'm not one of them.
Thankfully we have plenty of people who have successfully combined the ideas of strength and toughness. I like to believe I've done so to a pretty solid extent. And while weight training is just a part of the picture, I think it is a very major pillar.
The fact is, yoga will require longer duration and more time to get the same results as someone that goes to the gym twice a week and lift and push for 25 mins each visit.
I'll agree with you there, but for most REAL yoga practitioners, it is a lifestyle. There is much more to yoga than a quick fix. The OP said she liked yoga, which is one reason I would suggest that she stick with it.
I do agree with those who say weight training is Te best way to increase muscle mass. However, weight training is by no means a comprehensive path to fitness. It is great for strength training, but I think we can all agree that is just part of it.
In my occupation I have seen some guys with nice "gym muscles" unable to make a 10 mile hike with a 75 pound load. They were strong but they weren't tough, and that is the same as being weak in my occupation. To me, stregnth without toughness is useless. It is for show only, and that works for some people. I'm not one of them.
Thankfully we have plenty of people who have successfully combined the ideas of strength and toughness. I like to believe I've done so to a pretty solid extent. And while weight training is just a part of the picture, I think it is a very major pillar.
I think my husband was in a similar occupation that you are in, and believe me, those guys got a big laugh out of some of the gym rats who couldn't keep up with them on their training hikes.
Muscle does not get "flabby and ugly"; if a person bulks up massively then stops their routine and continues with their same eating habits, they are going to add fat while their muscle atrophies.
Well whatever happens, the end result is flabby and ugly lookin! LOL
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